It is important that tools be available for performing network management, such as fault management, configuration management and performance management of telephone company central office equipment. In the past, what is known as operations system (OS) has been used for conducting such functions by use of command line languages; such as Transaction Language 1 (TL1). TL1 is a command line language well-known in the art which allows the operator to initiate the execution of various commands at selected equipment within the central office. These commands can be used to monitor alarm status, to perform recovery from alarm situations, to perform configuration management of equipment, as well as to test the performance of equipment.
As equipment installed at the central office has become more and more complex, the use of a command line language can become cumbersome and difficult for the operator. This is particularly apparent with the introduction of asymmetrical digital subscriber loop (ADSL) related equipment which can provide high bandwidth asymmetrical communications, such as network elements (NEs) known as ADSL subscriber access multiplexers (ASAMs) as disclosed in the present assignee's copending U.S. application Ser. No. 08/891,145, entitled A Telecommunications System for Providing both Narrowband and Broadband Services to Subscribers; Subscriber Equipment; a Shelf Therefor; a Replaceable Lowpass Filter Unit; Line Termination Equipment; Network Termination Equipment; and a Telecommunications Rack with a Plurality of Shelves having a Redundancy Feature, filed on Jul. 10, 1997, hereby incorporated by reference. As a result, a network management system (NMS) has been developed for operation on a workstation. This NMS generates commands using the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) and performs fault management, configuration management and performance management functions for such ASAM equipment. This NMS uses an expert system software platform known as the NM-Expert Platform as described in Alcatel Alsthom document NM-Expert, Alcatel 1303, copyright 1995, Alcatel Bell, Belgium, as well as in Alcatel Alsthom document "The NM-Expert Reasoning Capabilities", copyright 1996, Alcatel Bell, Belgium, said documents incorporated by reference. With the use of NM-Expert, the NMS can perform fault management, configuration management and performance management through an intelligent graphically oriented presentation to the operator.
However, there is a need to be able to provide for command line language interface through the same workstation or through a terminal elsewhere at the central office. In particular, there is a need to be able to execute and display results of the command line language known as Transaction Language 1 (TL1) command line language that is widely used with telephone company central office equipment operations to perform management functions for telephony equipment. For an ASAM network element, there is a local equipment database resident within the network element. The ASAM network element includes line termination cards, alarm craft unit cards, and a network termination card which maintains information with respect to the other cards that form an overall ASAM.
In addition to the local equipment database, there is a similar equipment database associated with the NMS. The NMS equipment database maintains equipment data for all the NEs managed by the NMS. When the network element is maintained by the NMS, both the NMS equipment database and the local database within the ASAM are automatically updated at the time of program execution. However for the TL1 command line interface module, it is desirable at times to use what is known as a batch file for execution of a plurality of TL1 commands by the network termination card within the ASAM. It has been found that due to the number of cards forming an overall ASAM, the command line interface module can cause an overflow of TL1 commands to the network termination card which can result in the loss of information and consequent degradation of network management functions.
Thus it is the intent of the present invention to provide a command line interface module in association with a network management system which provides for reliable execution of the command lines and accurate storage of equipment information at the ASAM local equipment database and at the equipment database associated with the NMS.